The efforts are on in Maharashtra to persuade NCP chief Sharad Pawar to not attend an event in Pune on August 1 where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be honoured with the Lokmanya Tilak Award.
A delegation of various political parties, including his own is set to meet Pawar on Sunday.
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), an NCP ally, has said that Pawar’s decision “does not look appropriate”.
Pawar will not only share the stage with PM Modi, he will also confer the award on him during the function at the S P College grounds, reported The Indian Express.
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The report said the delegation led by socialist leader Baba Adhav that will meet Pawar will include leaders from the veteran leader’s NCP faction, the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UUBT), the Aam Aadmi Party, and the CPI(M).
“While the Congress, which is also in alliance with the NCP in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), has said the decision to attend the event, or not, is up to the NCP chief, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is unequivocal in its stand that Pawar should not be seen felicitating Modi,” it said.
The party’s spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “When the Prime Minister is calling the constituents of INDIA all sorts of names and when he and his party have wrecked the NCP, it does not look appropriate for the NCP chief to attend the event and bestow the honour on the Prime Minister,” mentioned the report.
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Raut added, “The BJP has not just broken the NCP into two pieces but the PM has described the NCP as a corrupt party. If the NCP has suffered so much, then how can its party head felicitate the Prime Minister? By doing so, Pawar will be harming his own image and reputation. I think Pawar should avoid attending the function.”
Raut said Pawar would send the wrong signal by attending the event. “It will create confusion in the minds of the people and the NCP workers and supporters. It will mean that Ajit Pawar has the support of the NCP national president,” he said.
